Off-grid electrical power system

ABSTRACT

Various implementations power homes and businesses without needing to connect to electric utility company-provided power, i.e., they can operate off-grid. Generally the system includes solar panel racks (e.g., photovoltaic cells on sheets stabilized using ballasts, anchors, or mounting) that generate electrical power used to provide power to a building or that is stored on batteries. The system includes the solar panel racks and an enclosure to be installed at the premises and separate from the building. The enclosure includes the batteries and inverters that are electronically connected to the solar panel racks and batteries. The inverters are configured to convert direct current (DC) electricity from the solar power racks and batteries to alternating current (AC) electricity to provide power to the building via wires electrically connecting the inverters to the main panel of the building.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/059,460 filed Aug. 9, 2018, which isincorporated herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to the provision of electricalpower to houses and other buildings, and in particular, to systems,methods, and devices that use solar energy and other energy producingtechnologies to provide electrical power to buildings without needing toconnect to a utility company-provided electrical power grid.

BACKGROUND

Electrical power can be produced at residential or commercial premisesin various ways including, but not limited to, via photovoltaics, gasturbine-based generators, wind turbine-based generators, water-basedturbine generators, and fuel cells. These energy producing technologiesare commonly used in conjunction with electrical power provided viaelectrical grids that provide electrical power from remote sources,i.e., electrical utility company-provided electrical power.

The deployment of alternative (i.e., non-grid) energy producingtechnologies such as solar power at residential and/or commercialpremises is often deterred by various physical, economic, and politicalconsiderations. For example, the inconvenience, disruption, safetyconcerns, and cost associated with having solar panels installed on theroof of the building and having electrical components occupying spacewithin the building deters many potential adopters of thesetechnologies.

SUMMARY

Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, andmethods that power residential and commercial buildings. The systems donot need to connect to electric utility company-provided power via thenational electric grid, i.e., they can operate off-grid. Generally thesystems include solar panel racks (e.g., photovoltaic cells on sheetsstabilized using ballasts, anchors, or mounting) that generateelectrical power that is stored in one or more batteries. The solarpower racks are generally installed on the premises separate from thebuilding (e.g., separate from the house or commercial building). Thesystem also includes an enclosure to be installed at the premises andseparate from the building. The enclosure can include one or morebatteries configured to store electrical power as chemical energy. Theenclosure includes one or more inverters electronically connected to theone or more solar panel racks and/or the one or more batteries. The oneor more inverters are configured to convert direct current (DC)electricity from the one or more solar panel racks or the one or morebatteries to alternating current (AC) electricity. The system can alsoinclude one or more electrical wires electrically connecting the systemto the main electrical panel of the building. The main panel isconfigured to receive AC electricity from the system, e.g., from the oneor more inverters, a generator, or another source, to power thebuilding.

Other implementations provide a system that provides electrical power toa premises and that includes at a device having a processor and anon-transitory computer readable medium. The device executesinstructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium tocontrol generator use and or electricity use. Specifically, theoperations include, but are not limited to, receiving historicalelectricity usage data for a building, receiving weather data and/orclimate data for the building's location, predicting expectedelectricity demand at the building based on the historical usage data,predicting expected electricity production by one or more racks ofphotovoltaic cells on a premises of the building based on the weatherdata and/or the climate data, and controlling generator use orelectricity use based on the expected electricity demand and theexpected electricity production.

In accordance with some implementations, a device includes one or moreprocessors, a non-transitory memory, and one or more programs; the oneor more programs are stored in the non-transitory memory and configuredto be executed by the one or more processors and the one or moreprograms include instructions for performing or causing performance ofany of the methods described herein. In accordance with someimplementations, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium hasstored therein instructions, which, when executed by one or moreprocessors of a device, cause the device to perform or cause performanceof any of the methods described herein. In accordance with someimplementations, a device includes: one or more processors, anon-transitory memory, and means for performing or causing performanceof any of the methods described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the present disclosure can be understood by those of ordinaryskill in the art, a more detailed description may be had by reference toaspects of some illustrative implementations, some of which are shown inthe accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of an off-grid electrical powersystem deployed at a premises according to some implementations.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a truck loaded withthe components of the off-grid electrical power system of FIG. 1according to some implementations.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of components of theoff-grid electrical power system of FIG. 1 connected to aninterconnection point to provide electrical power at a premisesaccording to some implementations.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating device components of an exemplarycontrol and data acquisition system (CDAS) according to someimplementations.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart representation of a method for controllinggenerator use and or electricity use at a premises to which electricalpower is provided by one or more non-grid electrical power producingtechnologies.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary power system providing redundant powersources according to some implementations.

FIG. 7 illustrates another exemplary power system providing redundantpower sources according to some implementations.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart representation of a method for managing storedenergy according to some implementations.

In accordance with common practice the various features illustrated inthe drawings may not be drawn to scale. Accordingly, the dimensions ofthe various features may be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity.In addition, some of the drawings may not depict all of the componentsof a given system, method or device. Finally, like reference numeralsmay be used to denote like features throughout the specification andfigures.

DESCRIPTION

Numerous details are described in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the example implementations shown in the drawings.However, the drawings merely show some example aspects of the presentdisclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting. Those ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other effective aspectsor variants do not include all of the specific details described herein.Moreover, well-known systems, methods, components, devices and circuitshave not been described in exhaustive detail so as not to obscure morepertinent aspects of the example implementations described herein.

Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, andmethods that power homes and businesses. The systems do not need toconnect to electric utility company-provided power via the nationalelectric grid, i.e., they can operate off-grid. For example, the systemscan connect to the main interconnection point on the premises instead ofthe utility company-provided power system connecting to that maininterconnection point. Thus, in contrast to existing solar power systemsdesigned to connect to an interior electrical panel to providesupplemental or backup power, implementations of the invention providesystems that are configured to be the main or sole electrical powersource for the premises, providing power to the main electrical powerinput connection on the premises.

Referring to FIG. 1 , FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of anoff-grid electrical power system deployed at a premises 5 to provideelectrical power without needing to connect to or otherwise use electricutility company-provided power. The premises 5 in this example includesa contiguous area of land that includes a building, i.e., house 10, anddriveway 20. Systems disclosed herein can provide electrical power topremises that include contiguous or otherwise associated areas of landon which one or more buildings are located. In the example of FIG. 1 ,the system includes an enclosure 30, housing various components andsolar panels 40. The system connects, via electrical wires (not shown)to interconnection point 50, for example, to a main disconnect, at thehouse 10 to provide electrical power to all of the interior and/orexterior power requirements of the house 10.

The solar panels 40 can be mounted on racks and configured andpositioned to absorb sunlight as a source of energy. The solar panels 40can be mounted on the ground of the premises, a roof of the enclosure,and/or any other locations separate from the premises 5.

In some implementations, the solar panels 40 of the system includephotovoltaic cells on sheets stabilized using ballasts, and/or anchors,for mounting. In some implementations, the solar panels 40 includephotovoltaic modules that include packaged, connected assemblies ofphotovoltaic cells (e.g., an array of 6×10 solar cells). The solarpanels 40 can include an array of photovoltaic modules that areconnected to one another prior to delivery and/or during deployment atthe premises 5. The solar panels 40 can use wafer-based crystallinesilicon or thin-film cells. The solar panels 40 can include a structural(load carrying) member as either a top layer or a bottom layer and maybe rigid or semi-flexible (e.g., in the case of thin-film cells). Thesolar panels 40 may include photovoltaic cells connected to one anotherin series and may include single contact connectors (e.g., Multi-Contact4 mm diameter [MC4] connectors) to facilitate easy weatherproofconnections to other components of the system. The connectors may beconfigured allow strings of solar panels 40 to be easily constructed bypushing the connectors from adjacent solar panels together by hand,while requiring a tool to disconnect the strings from one another toprevent accidentally disconnections.

The system is configured to connect directly to a main panel of thebuilding. Thus, in some implementations, the main panel receivesalternating current (AC) electricity from the one or more inverters, thegenerator, or other sources and provides the received AC electricity topower one or more buildings on the premises. Unlike existingroof-mounted solar panel systems that provide only supplemental power tobuildings, implementations of the invention provide a system that canconnect directly to the main panel of the building to provide electricalpower to the entire building without requiring grid-supplied electricalpower.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a truck 40 loadedwith the components of the off-grid electrical power system of FIG. 1 .In this example, the truck includes all of the components needed for adeployment of the system at the premises 5 of FIG. 1 . Specifically, thetruck 40 includes the enclosure 30 (including other system componentsthat are, in some implementations, already installed and/or connected),the solar panels 40, the ballasts and/or anchors 70 to be used to mountthe solar panels 40 on a ground surface of the premises 5, and supportbeams 80 used to support the solar panels 40 above the ground surface ofthe premises 5.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of components of theoff-grid electrical power system of FIG. 1 connected to aninterconnection point 50 to provide electrical power at the premises 5.The system includes an enclosure 30 to be installed at the premises andseparate from the building 10 (e.g., separate from any of the house(s)and/or commercial building(s) of the premises).

The enclosure 30 at least partially encloses a battery compartment 360with batteries 370A-C that are configured to store the electricityreceived from the solar panels 40. Examples of batteries 370A-C include,but are not limited to, lithium ion batteries, sodium-sulfur batteries,sodium/nickel-chloride batteries, flooded lead-acid batteries, absorbentglass mat lead-acid batteries, and nickel metal hydride batteries, andnickel cadmium batteries. The storage capacity of the batteries 370A-Cand/or the number of batteries included in the system can be selectedbased on the expected electrical power requirements of the premises 5.

The solar panels 50 may produce DC power that is used to directly chargethe batteries 370A-C, e.g., via one or more charge controllers (notshown) that receive the energy from the solar panels 50 and use it tocharge the batteries 370A-C.

The enclosure 30 at least partially encloses inverters 310A-C that canbe electronically connected to the solar panels 40 and/or the batteries370A-C. The inverters 310A-C can be entirely electronic or may use acombination of mechanical effects (e.g., rotary apparatus) andelectrical circuitry. The inverters 310A-C can be configured to convertdirect current (DC) electrical power from the solar panels 40, batteries370A-C, and/or other source to alternating current (AC) electricity thatcan be used for the electrical power load of the premises. Additionallyor alternatively, the inverters 310A-C can be configured to receive ACelectricity from the generator 250 and/or another AC source (e.g., awind generator, a geothermal generator, a grid connection, etc.) andrectify that AC electrical power into DC electrical power used to chargethe batteries 370A-C. Thus, in various implementations, the batteries370A-C can be charged from the solar panels 40, the generator 350, fromthe electrical company provided power grid (if available), or from otheravailable sources. The inverters 310A-C may be linked together toaddress the varying electrical power requirements of different premises,e.g., larger premises/buildings may have significantly greater powerrequirements.

In some implementations, the enclosure 30 at least partially encloses agenerator 350. The enclosure can enclose, be located proximate to, orotherwise connect via a fuel line to propane/fuel 340, e.g., a liquidpropane (LP) tank, to provide backup for or otherwise supplement theelectrical power provided by the solar panels 40. The generator 350produces electrical power from mechanical energy, which is provided tothe generator 350 in the form of fuel (e.g., natural gas, liquidpropane, gasoline, or diesel). Electrical power is created by convertingmotorized power from the combustion of the fuel into electrical power.For example, propane may be burned by a propane-based generator toproduce energy/heat that heats a substance (e.g., a mix of water andammonia) in the generator to its burning point, leading to theproduction of ammonia gas, which flows through the generator to produceelectrical energy. As another example, gas may be used to power agas-powered engine that turns an on-board alternator to generateelectrical power.

In other implementations, the generator 350 and/or fuel tank (e.g., LPtank 340) are located outside of the enclosure, for example, on aportion of the premises 5 proximate to the enclosure 30.

In some implementations, the generator 350 is used in a support scenariobased on limitations of the inverters 310A-C. For example, the inverters310A-C may have a maximum output of 15 kilowatts for a period of 15-30minutes and the batteries 370A-C may be depleted or the electrical powerload may continue for too long. In such circumstances, the generator 350can be utilized to provide power to satisfy the power load.

In some implementations, such as in the example of FIG. 3 , the systemalso include a control and data acquisition system (CDAS) 320 thatcommunicates (e.g., via cellular or other wireless communicationtechnology) with a remote system to provide data (e.g., electrical powerusage data), obtain data (e.g., weather forecasts), and facilitateremote control of the system. In some implementations, the CDAS 320 isconfigured to track solar power generation, electrical power usage, andother system attributes and environment features over time. For example,the CDAS 320 may be configured to collect and act upon historical dataregarding load at different times of the day (e.g., electrical powerconsumption being greater at certain times based dryer usage, occupantsreturning home, etc.). The CDAS 320 may identify patterns, e.g., time ofday, daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal, etc. For example the CDAS 130 maydetermine that electrical consumption of certain appliances is lesscommon during the summer. The CDAS could then notify the building'soccupants of these trends.

The CDAS 320 uses historical data on consumption, production, and otherinformation to efficiently use the system components and resources. Thiscan avoid the need for the system to include unnecessary capacity, e.g.,larger, more expensive batteries and propane tanks, etc., to otherwiseaddress extreme circumstances. Rather the CDAS 320 is able to makepredictions and use those predictions to manage component usageintelligently. For example, the CDAS 320 may trigger different modes toconserve stored power levels at certain times. The CDAS 320 may makedeterminations automatically and/or use user preferences, commands,information from a home automation system, etc. In one example, the CDAS320 tracks which appliances are being used and makes recommendationsbased on system usage. As a specific example, the CDAS 320 may send arequest to the user (e.g., to the user's mobile device and/or computer)requesting that the user approve shutting off the water heater for aperiod of time to improve system efficiency or performance. The CDAS 320may present information for a user interface on the users' computers ormobile devices that allows the users to select appliances to activate,deactivate, ramp up, ramp down, schedule activation/deactivation, etc.Accordingly, the CDAS 320 can make automated or semi-automated decisionsconsistent with the users' preferences and control to ensure that theautomated changes do not undesirably impact the user. The CDAS 320 canthus improve system performance and efficiency without requiring theusers to undesirably or dramatically change their lifestyles.

The CDAS can provide predictive control features for example byemploying algorithms that utilize usage data, weather data, and systemdata to predict power usage needs, anticipate solar power generation,and/or recommend/automatically control battery and/or generator usageaccordingly. The system can include intelligent/remote control featuressuch as algorithms that allow users to control the system and/orregulate power generation and/or consumption (e.g., by turning offappliances, etc.). The system may include management features thatfacilitate load dumping, e.g., where too much power is available and theuser may want to add an electrical load to use the extra power. Thesystem may also be configured to switch between modes, such as a fullpower mode, an energy save mode, and an emergency power mode.

In some implementations, such as in the example of FIG. 3 , theenclosure 30 is a shed-type structure having a roof (e.g., slanted tofacilitate runoff of precipitation) and one or more walls that housesome or all of the components outside of the residence/building. Theenclosure 30 can be shaped, sized, and/or have other attributes thatfacilitate simple and efficient delivery of the system components, aswell as pleasing aesthetic, weather protection, security, and safety. Insome implementations, the enclosure 30 is located beneath the solarpanels to reduce the footprint of the system.

In some implementations, such as in the example of FIG. 3 , theenclosure 30 includes heating, ventilation, and air/conditioning HVACcomponents 330, which may be controlled by the CDAS 320. The HVACcomponents 330 can monitor temperature, humidity, and/or otherconditions within the enclosure and produce heat, air-conditioning, orotherwise control these conditions to facilitate the efficient, safe,and continuous operation of the system.

In some implementations, such as in the example of FIG. 3 , theenclosure 30 includes a disconnect 380 that facilitates disconnectingthe components of the enclosure 30 from the interconnection point 50and/or the solar panels 40. The disconnect 380 can facilitate quickerdeployment by reducing or eliminating the need to go within theenclosure 30 during deployment to connect the components to theinterconnection point 50 and/or the solar panels 40. In someimplementations, the enclosure 30 has externally facing outlets forconnecting devices to use excess load.

The system depicted in FIGS. 1-3 can be simpler, quicker, and lessexpensive to deliver, install, and maintain than existing solar powersystems. The components of the system can be separate from the building,e.g., house 10. For example, the solar panels 40 can be positioned onthe ground outside of the house 10 rather than on the roof of the house10. Many of the other components of the system can be located within theenclosure 30 or otherwise on the grounds outside of the house 10. As aresult, the system can be installed without needing to access theinterior or roof of the house 10, without disrupting theresidents/occupants, without altering the house 10, without occupyingspace within the house 10, without creating safety concerns within thehouse 10, and without otherwise interfering with the house's use oroperation.

In some implementations, fast and efficient deployment of the system isfacilitated by attributes of the enclosure 30 including, but not limitedto, the enclosure 30 having components installed, mounted, andpre-connected (prior to delivery) to one another, enclosure aperturesdesigned for accessing and connecting components during deployment andmaintenance, weight distribution for improved mobility and stability,and other features such as apertures that facilitate using a forklift tounload the enclosure from a truck.

Attributes of the solar panels 40 of the system can additionally beconfigured to facilitate easy deployment and/or enable deployment onuneven terrain. For example, the racks upon which the solar panels 40will be mounted may use ballasts having attributes (e.g., light weight,separable weights, etc.) that facilitate easier transport from a truckto a deployment location.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary power system providing redundant powersources. The power system includes a first power source 610 and a secondpower source 620, which may be the same or different types of powersources.

In some implementations, the first power source 610 includes one or morebatteries configured to store energy generated by the one or more solarpanel racks of photovoltaic cells. The first power source 610 mayinclude one or more inverters electronically connected to the one ormore solar panel racks and one or more batteries. Such one or moreinverters may be configured to convert direct current (DC) currentelectricity from the one or more solar panel racks and the one or morebatteries to alternating current (AC) electricity.

In some implementations, the second power source 620 includes one ormore generators. The one or more generators may be configured to receivefuel from a fuel tank. A power source may include additional components,such as a breaker. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6 , the secondpower source 620 may include a breaker 625 (e.g., a 60A breaker) toregulate power provided by the second power source 620.

In some implementations, one or both of the power sources 610, 620 areinstalled within (e.g., at least partially enclosed by) or near anenclosure that is installed at a premises of a building to which poweris provided.

The power system of FIG. 6 includes components that facilitate providingpower to a building in different modes. The components (e.g., switches),may enable, for example, a normal mode in which power is provided to thebuilding from the first power source, a bypass mode in which power isprovided to the building from the second power source, and an isolationmode in which no power is provided to the building from the first powersource and no power is provided to the building from the second powersource. The components (e.g., switches) may be located on exterior (orequivalently within a threshold distance of) an enclosure that at leastpartially encloses one or both of the power sources. Locating thecomponents (e.g., switches) on the exterior or near the exterior of suchan enclosure may facilitate installation, removal, and/or use of thesystem at the premises.

In some implementations, the system, as illustrated in FIG. 6 , includesa first switch 630 configured to connect the first power source 610 to afirst side (e.g., Line A) of a transfer switch 650 when switched on andto disconnect the first power source 610 from the transfer switch 650when switched off. The first switch 630 may be a bypass switch. Thefirst switch 630 may be an electrical disconnect. The first switch 630may be a breaker switch housed in one or more exterior boxes on anenclosure that houses at least some of one or both of the power sources610, 620.

In some implementations, the system, as illustrated in FIG. 6 , includesa second switch 640 configured to connect the second power source to asecond side (e.g., Line B) of the transfer switch 650 when switched onand to disconnect the second power source 640 from the second side ofthe transfer switch 650 when switched off. The second switch 640 may befurther configured to connect the second power source 620 to providepower to the first power source 610, e.g., to one or more batteries,when switched on. The second switch 640 may be an electrical disconnect.The second switch 640 may be a breaker switches housed in one or moreexterior boxes on an enclosure that houses at least some of one or bothof the power sources 610, 620.

In some implementation, the transfer switch 650 is configured to switchto receive power from the second side (e.g., Line B) of the transferswitch 650 based on not receiving sufficient power at the first side(e.g., Line A) of the transfer switch 650. The transfer switch 650 maybe configured to send a signal to initiate power generation from thesecond power source 610 (e.g., to start a generator) based on no powerbeing received at the first side (e.g., Line A) of the transfer switch650.

The transfer switch 650 is connected to provide electricity to thebuilding 670 via a connection at a building disconnect 660. In someimplementations, the system connects to a main panel of the building 670that is configured to receive electricity from the system and providethe received electricity to power the building.

Some implementations provide a system in which there is one power sourceproducing AC power contained in an enclosure and a backup power sourceon site (e.g., either generator or utility) that shall back up the firstpower source. In this example, to ensure consistent and stable power tothe loads (e.g., home or other building), there is a transfer switch ona side of the enclosure that can alternate between two sources of power(first source and backup). Prior to the electricity reaching thistransfer switch, there are two switches to allow for multiple possiblemodes, e.g., normal, bypass, and complete isolation/shutdown.

In this example, the disconnecting switch that is in line with the ACpower output of the first power source is the bypass switch. When theswitch is closed (on), the power will flow through to the primary ACinput side of the transfer switch. When the switch is open (off), nopower will reach the primary AC input side of the transfer switch whichwill cause the transfer switch to shift to the secondary (backup) ACinput. This switch from primary to secondary AC input will, in the caseof having a generator as the backup AC source, send a signal to startthe backup power source, e.g., a generator. This will ensure that thesecondary side of the transfer switch shall have power sufficient topower the loads.

The disconnecting switch that is in line with the AC power output of thebackup AC source (e.g., generator or utility), is the isolation/fullshutdown switch. When the switch is closed (on), the power will flowthrough to the secondary AC input side of the transfer switch and alsothe primary system (e.g., the first power source's batteries). This willnot provide any power to the loads while the system is in normaloperation, but will provide backup charging and power. When the switchis open (off), no power from the backup source will reach either thefirst power source's batteries or the secondary AC input of the transferswitch.

When the bypass switch is open (off) and the isolation/full shutdownswitch is closed (on), the system will be in bypass mode. The only ACpower that will flow through the transfer switch to the loads will comefrom the Backup power source (e.g., generator or utility).

When both the bypass switch and the isolation/full shutdown switch arein the closed (on) position, the system will be in normal operationmode. When both the bypass switch and the isolation/full shutdown switchare open (off), there will be no AC power output to the loads and thesystem will be in complete isolation/shutdown mode.

FIG. 7 illustrates another exemplary power system providing redundantpower sources according to some implementations. In comparison to thesystem illustrated in FIG. 6 , the system illustrated in FIG. 7 usesutility power as the second power source. Accordingly, the second stitch640 is configured to receive power via a main breaker 725 that receivespower via utility meter 720.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating device components of an exemplaryCDAS 320. While certain specific features are illustrated, those skilledin the art will appreciate from the present disclosure that variousother features have not been illustrated for the sake of brevity, and soas not to obscure more pertinent aspects of the implementationsdisclosed herein. To that end, as a non-limiting example, in someimplementations the device 700 includes one or more processing units 402(e.g., microprocessors, ASICs, FPGAs, GPUs, CPUs, processing cores, orthe like), one or more input/output (I/O) devices and sensors 406, oneor more communication interfaces 408 (e.g., USB, FIREWIRE, THUNDERBOLT,IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.11x, IEEE 802.16x, GSM, CDMA, TDMA, GPS, IR,BLUETOOTH, ZIGBEE, SPI, I2C, or the like type interface), one or moredisplays (not shown), and one or more sensor systems 410, a memory 420,and one or more communication buses 404 for interconnecting these andvarious other components.

In some implementations, the one or more communication buses 404 includecircuitry that interconnects and controls communications between systemcomponents. In some implementations, the one or more I/O devices andsensors 406 include at least one of a touch screen, a softkey, akeyboard, a virtual keyboard, a button, a knob, a joystick, a switch, adial, a microphone, a speaker, a haptics engine, or the like. In someimplementations, the one or more sensor system(s) 410 include at leastone of an electrical meter or other device that measures electricalconsumption or electrical production, a battery tester or other devicethat measures energy stored on a battery, a thermometer, a barometer, animage sensor, a sound sensor, a chemical sensor, an inertial measurementunit (IMU), an accelerometer, a magnetometer, or a gyroscope.

The memory 420 includes high-speed random-access memory, such as DRAM,SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random-access solid-state memory devices. Insome implementations, the memory 420 includes non-volatile memory, suchas one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storagedevices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid-state storagedevices. The memory 420 optionally includes one or more storage devicesremotely located from the one or more processing units 402. The memory420 comprises a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. In someimplementations, the memory 420 or the non-transitory computer readablestorage medium of the memory 420 stores the following programs, modulesand data structures, or a subset thereof including an optional operatingsystem 430 and one or more module 440.

The operating system 430 includes procedures for handling various basicsystem services and for performing hardware dependent tasks. The modules440 include a monitoring unit 424, a prediction unit 426, abattery/generator control unit 428, and a load control unit 430. Themonitoring unit 424 monitors energy consumption, energy production,energy storage and other system and environmental data based informationfrom the one or more sensor system(s) 410, a home automation system,and/or from other sources, such as network climate/weather resources,other network sources, as well as user-provided information. Theprediction unit 426 is configured to make predictions regarding energyconsumption, energy production, energy storage and other system andenvironmental attributes based on the information monitored by themonitoring unit 424. The battery/generator control unit 428 isconfigured to control the battery/generator (e.g., determining when thegenerator will be run, when energy will be allocated from the batteriesor generator to power the load, etc. The battery/generator control unit428 is configured to make these allocations based on rules, algorithms,user commands and combinations thereof based on the informationmonitored by the monitoring unit 424 and/or the predictions made by theprediction unit 426. The load control unit 430 is configured to controlone or more appliances or other power consuming devices or connects (orthe overall power load) at the premises. The load control unit 430 maycontrol the load based on rules, algorithms, user commands andcombinations thereof based on the information monitored by themonitoring unit 424 and/or the predictions made by the prediction unit426.

Generally, the modules are configured to control the system, analyzedata and communicate wirelessly with a remote system to obtain data andcontrol the system. The CDAS 320 may determine expected electricitydemand (e.g., based on historical electricity usage data for thepremises) and/or expected electricity production (e.g., weather forecastor climate data associated with the location of the premises) andcontrol the system based on the expected electricity demand and expectedelectricity production. The CDAS 320 may determine the expectedelectricity demand.

In some implementations, CDAS 320 is configured to provide a predictivecontrol feature that uses historical usage data, tariff data,electrical-grid rate data, and/or weather data to predict expectedelectricity demand at the premises, predict expected electricityproduction, and/or provide recommendations regarding battery use orgenerator use.

In some implementations, CDAS 320 is configured to provide a predictivecontrol feature that uses historical energy usage data, tariff data,electrical-grid rate data, calendar information, and/or weather data topredict expected electricity demand at the premises, predict expectedelectricity production, and/or automatically control battery use orgenerator use.

In some implementations, CDAS 320 is configured to provide an electricalload dumping feature that uses data which includes, but is not limitedto: historical usage data, tariff data, electrical-grid rate data,and/or weather data to predict expected electricity demand at thebuilding, predict expected electricity production, and/or providerecommendations regarding electricity that will be wasted unless load isincreased.

In some implementations, CDAS 320 is configured to provide a loadcontrol feature that uses historical usage data, tariff data,electrical-grid rate data, or weather data to predict expectedelectricity demand at the building, predict expected electricityproduction, and/or automatically control and increase electricity usageon selected loads to avoid wasting electricity.

In some implementations, CDAS 320 is configured to provide a batterycontrol feature to control (e.g., limit) recharging of the one or morebatteries from a generator based on expected electrical demand and/or tocontrol (e.g., limit) a battery charging cycle by varying depth ofdischarge based on battery parameters.

FIG. 4 is intended more as a functional description of the variousfeatures which are present in a particular implementation as opposed toa structural schematic of the implementations described herein. Asrecognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, items shown separatelycould be combined and some items could be separated. For example, somefunctional modules shown separately could be implemented in a singlemodule and the various functions of single functional blocks could beimplemented by one or more functional blocks in various implementations.The actual number of modules and the division of particular functionsand how features are allocated among them will vary from oneimplementation to another based on unique individual attributes of eachindividual implementation, and, in some implementations, depends in parton the particular combination of hardware, software, or firmware chosenfor a particular implementation.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart representation of a method 500 for controllinggenerator use and or electricity use at a premises to which electricalpower is provided by one or more non-grid electrical power producingtechnologies. In some implementations, the method 500 is performed by adevice that has processor and instructions stored on a computer-readablemedium (e.g., CDAS device 320 of FIG. 4 ). In some implementations, themethod 500 is performed by processing logic, including hardware,firmware, software, or a combination thereof. In some implementations,the method 500 is performed by a processor executing code stored in anon-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., a memory).

At block 510, the method 500 receives historical electricity usage datafrom the building. The historical usage data may be maintained in memorylocally, e.g., on the premises, in the CDAS, etc. or may be obtainedfrom a remote storage location, such as a tracking server that managesdata from one or more premises relating to electricity usage.

At block 510, the method 500 receives weather data or climate data forthe building. In one implementation, the weather data is received from aremote weather/climate server that includes statistical data, facts, orforecasts related to weather and climate. In one implementation, aweather forecast associated with the current day and one or moresubsequent days is obtained.

At block 530, the method 500 predicts expected electricity demand at thebuilding based on the historical usage data. The prediction can be basedon matching attributes of the current time period (e.g., the currenthour, day, week, etc.) with those of prior time periods for whichhistorical usage is known. For example, the prediction may be based onusage data from the same day last year, etc. In other implementations,an artificial intelligence or machine learning model is used to predictexpected electricity demand based on historical usage data and/or otherfactors. For example, a neural network may be trained using historicalusage data for a training set of multiple premises and then used topredict expected electricity demand for the particular premises based onthe particular premises' usage data and/or characteristics.

At block 540, the method 500 predicts expected electricity production byone or more racks of photovoltaic cells on the premises of the buildingbased on the weather data or the climate data. The prediction can bebased on an algorithm or association between expected sunlightassociated with various weather and/or climate conditions which wouldaffect solar electricity production. For example, based on the weatherprediction, the day may be classified as sunny, partially cloudy,cloudy, or precipitating. The expected electricity production can bepredicted based on average values associated with prior days havingthese classifications. Additional information may be accounted for inthe prediction. For example, date of the year, temperature (or otherinformation associated with distance from the sun and thus strength ofsunlight) may be used to make or adjust the prediction. Currentconditions, for example obtained via sensors at the enclosure or solarpanels, can also be used as indications of the strength of the sunlightand used in making and/or adjusting the predictions. The prediction fora given time increment can be made using predictions for smaller timeincrements. For example, a prediction for each hour of the day may bemade and combined to provide a prediction for the entire day.

At block 550, the method 500 controls generator use or electricity usebased on the expected electricity demand and the expected electricityproduction. Controlling the generator use can involve determining anelectricity production requirement based on the expected electricitydemand and the expected electricity production and determining an amountof generator use such that the combined electricity production by theone or more racks of photovoltaic cells and the amount of generator usesatisfies the electricity production requirement. Controlling theelectricity use can involve determining an electricity usage requirementbased on the expected electricity demand and the expected electricityproduction and automatically controlling (e.g., reducing) electricityusage at the building by controlling one or more electricity consumingappliances based on the electricity usage requirement.

The method 500 may involve determining an amount of expected excesselectricity based on the expected electricity demand and the expectedelectricity production. This expected excess electricity can then beused to automatically increase electricity usage at the building, forexample, by controlling one or more electricity consuming appliances.

The method 500 may involve monitoring an amount of fuel available to thegenerator and determining to order additional fuel based on the amountof fuel available to the generator, the expected electricity demand,and/or the expected electricity production. The fuel can be orderedautomatically, for example, via an electronic message send from the CDASto a remote fuel supplier.

The method 500 may involve providing a notification, for example, to thehomeowner, resident, occupant, or other user, related to historicalelectricity usage data for the building, weather data or climate datafor the building, expected electricity demand at the building, expectedelectricity production by the one or more racks of photovoltaic cells,generator use, and/or electricity use. This information may help theuser make more informed decisions about appliance use and other energyconsuming activities.

In some implementations, method 500 switches a mode of operation betweena plurality of predefined modes of operation, e.g., full power mode, anenergy save mode, and an emergency power mode. The method 500 may switchbetween modes based on the predictions of energy production andconsumption and/or notify the user of the mode switch. Using modeshaving defined operation parameters provides an intuitive way to conveyto a user how the attributes of the system have been automaticallyadjusted to account for current predictions, e.g., the user is able toeasily understand when the system is operating in full power mode,energy save mode, or emergency power mode without having to determinethe state of the system by manually analyzing how the generator,battery, and solar power are being used. The user may approve, deny,control, monitor, or otherwise manually control the switching of modesin the system. The modes identified in this example are merely examplesof a limited number of predefined, easy to identify modes that could beused in such implementations.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart representation of a method for managing storedenergy according to some implementations. In some implementations, themethod 800 is performed by a device that has processor and instructionsstored on a computer-readable medium (e.g., CDAS device 320 of FIG. 4 ).In some implementations, the method 800 is performed by processinglogic, including hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof.In some implementations, the method 800 is performed by a processorexecuting code stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium(e.g., a memory).

At block 810, the method 800 monitors a battery charge status of one ormore batteries. In some implementations, the one or more batteries areconfigured to store energy generated by one or more solar panel racks ofphotovoltaic cells and to provide power to a building using the storedenergy.

At block 820, the method 800 determines that the battery charge statussatisfies a condition. For example, this may involve determining thatthe battery charge status is full or above a threshold, e.g., above 99%full.

At block 830, based on the battery charge status satisfying thecondition, the method 800 takes one or more actions. In someimplementations, as shown in block 840, the method 800 automaticallyincreases electricity usage at a building by controlling one or moreelectricity consuming devices. In some implementations, as shown inblock 850, the method 800 sends a notification of the battery chargestatus satisfying the condition. Electricity usage at the building maythen be manually initiated in response to the notification bycontrolling one or more electricity consuming devices. For example, auser may initiate a thermal store option and the method 800 mayautomatically control one or more devices to use some of the storedbattery power to heat or cool air or water at the building.

In some implementations, controlling the one or more electricityconsuming devices transfers at least some of the stored energy of theone or more batteries to stored thermal energy. In some implementations,controlling the one or more electricity consuming devices involvesadjusting a thermostat to store thermal energy. For example, athermostat may be lowered to cause an AC unit to run more to produce acolder air temperature within the building. In various examples, thestored thermal energy is accomplished by changing an air temperaturewithin the building, a storage temperature within a refrigerationdevice, or a water temperature within a water heater. In someimplementations, the one or more electricity consuming devices comprisesa water heater, an air conditioning unit, a heater, or a well waterpump.

In a distributed energy system, which cannot export power out to autility grid, there may be situations in which the energy storage systemis at full capacity. If during these times, there is still production tobe had through the generation sources (such as solar, wind, or hydro,etc.), then it would normally be “lost” as it has no location to whichto go. Techniques disclosed herein, such as method 800, may address suchsituations.

In some implementations, a system monitors and observes when the energystorage system is at maximum capacity. The system may be configured totake one or more steps in response to such a determination. The systemmay notify the owner/user and recommend load usage/thermal adjustments.The system may control and adjust the loads and systems to which it hasaccess. In some implementations, the adjustments involve using thetemperature control and HVAC systems to turn the building into thermalstorage. For example, during a hot season (e.g., summer in the UnitedStates), the system may activate the air conditioner(s) to cool thebuilding down to a defined lowest temperature allowed value, prior towhen the owner might normally adjust the temperature, to pre-cool thebuilding and prevent load usage in the evening when the generationsource (solar) is limited or gone. In another example, the system maycause the filling of an electric hot water tank, which functions asthermal storage of the excess energy. In another example, the system mayturn on heavy loads which are not time dependent, such as dishwashers,laundry machines, and EV chargers. This “load-adding” automatedfunctionality may depend data such as weather conditions, usage history,time of year, and user-defined settings.

Numerous specific details are set forth herein to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the claimed subject matter. However, those skilled inthe art will understand that the claimed subject matter may be practicedwithout these specific details. In other instances, methods apparatuses,or systems that would be known by one of ordinary skill have not beendescribed in detail so as not to obscure claimed subject matter.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, it is appreciated that throughoutthis specification discussions utilizing the terms such as “processing,”“computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” and “identifying” or the likerefer to actions or processes of a computing device, such as one or morecomputers or a similar electronic computing device or devices, thatmanipulate or transform data represented as physical electronic ormagnetic quantities within memories, registers, or other informationstorage devices, transmission devices, or display devices of thecomputing platform.

The system or systems discussed herein are not limited to any particularhardware architecture or configuration. A computing device can includeany suitable arrangement of components that provides a resultconditioned on one or more inputs. Suitable computing devices includemultipurpose microprocessor-based computer systems accessing storedsoftware that programs or configures the computing system from a generalpurpose computing apparatus to a specialized computing apparatusimplementing one or more implementations of the present subject matter.Any suitable programming, scripting, or other type of language orcombinations of languages may be used to implement the teachingscontained herein in software to be used in programming or configuring acomputing device.

Implementations of the methods disclosed herein may be performed in theoperation of such computing devices. The order of the blocks presentedin the examples above can be varied for example, blocks can bere-ordered, combined, or broken into sub-blocks. Certain blocks orprocesses can be performed in parallel.

The use of “adapted to” or “configured to” herein is meant as open andinclusive language that does not foreclose devices adapted to orconfigured to perform additional tasks or steps. Additionally, the useof “based on” is meant to be open and inclusive, in that a process,step, calculation, or other action “based on” one or more recitedconditions or values may, in practice, be based on additional conditionsor value beyond those recited. Headings, lists, and numbering includedherein are for ease of explanation only and are not meant to belimiting.

It will also be understood that, although the terms “first,” “second,”etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elementsshould not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used todistinguish one element from another. For example, a first node could betermed a second node, and, similarly, a second node could be termed afirst node, which changing the meaning of the description, so long asall occurrences of the “first node” are renamed consistently and alloccurrences of the “second node” are renamed consistently. The firstnode and the second node are both nodes, but they are not the same node.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularimplementations only and is not intended to be limiting of the claims.As used in the description of the implementations and the appendedclaims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to includethe plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will also be understood that the term “and/or” as usedherein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations ofone or more of the associated listed items. It will be furtherunderstood that the terms “comprises” or “comprising,” when used in thisspecification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps,operations, elements, or components, but do not preclude the presence oraddition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations,elements, components, or groups thereof.

As used herein, the term “if” may be construed to mean “when” or “upon”or “in response to determining” or “in accordance with a determination”or “in response to detecting,” that a stated condition precedent istrue, depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase “if it isdetermined [that a stated condition precedent is true]” or “if [a statedcondition precedent is true]” or “when [a stated condition precedent istrue]” may be construed to mean “upon determining” or “in response todetermining” or “in accordance with a determination” or “upon detecting”or “in response to detecting” that the stated condition precedent istrue, depending on the context.

The foregoing description and summary of the invention are to beunderstood as being in every respect illustrative and exemplary, but notrestrictive, and the scope of the invention disclosed herein is not tobe determined only from the detailed description of illustrativeimplementations but according to the full breadth permitted by patentlaws. It is to be understood that the implementations shown anddescribed herein are only illustrative of the principles of the presentinvention and that various modification may be implemented by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for providing electricity to a building,the system comprising: a first power source comprising one or more solarpanel racks of photovoltaic cells or one or more generators, the firstpower source installed on a premises of the building; an enclosureinstalled at the premises, wherein the enclosure at least partiallyencloses or comprises: one or more batteries electrically configured tostore energy; one or more inverters electronically connected to the oneor more solar panel racks and the one or more batteries and configuredto convert direct current (DC) current electricity from the one or moresolar panel racks and the one or more batteries to alternating current(AC) electricity; one or more electronical connections connecting thesystem to a utility power supply, wherein one or more switches areconfigured to control whether power is supplied to the premises via theutility power supply, wherein the one or more switches comprises anisolation switch, wherein, when the isolation switch is closed, a secondpower source separate from the first power source provides power to thebuilding and the one or more batteries; and one or more electrical wireselectrically connecting the system to a main panel of the building,wherein the main panel is configured to provide power received from thesystem to the building; and wherein the enclosure further comprises adisconnect configured to enable disconnection of components of theenclosure from an interconnection point of the main panel of thebuilding or disconnection of the components of the enclosure from thefirst power source; and wherein the system is configured to be installedby: connecting the one or more electrical wires electrically to the mainpanel of the building; and connecting the one or more electricalconnections to the utility power supply; wherein the main panel of thebuilding is connected to the system and receives utility power from theutility power supply via the system rather than being directly connectedto the utility power supply to receive power directly from the utilitypower supply.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more solarpanel racks comprise sheets of the photovoltaic cells supported byballasts on a ground surface of the premises.
 3. The system of claim 1,wherein components of the enclosure are pre-connected prior to deliverand installation of the system at the premises.
 4. The system of claim1, wherein the enclosure has an externally-facing outlet for connectingone or more devices to excess load.
 5. The system of claim 1, whereinthe system provides an electric vehicle (EV) charger.
 6. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the system is configured to control and send power toan electric vehicle (EV) charger based on energy storage or load.
 7. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to control and drawpower from an electric vehicle (EV) or EV charger system based on energystorage or load.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the enclosure fullyencloses the one or more batteries and one or more inverters.
 9. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a roof having aslanted portion configured to facilitate precipitation runoff.
 10. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is a shed-type structure. 11.The system of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is located beneath at leastone of the one or more solar panel racks.
 12. The system of claim 1,wherein the enclosure comprises heating, ventilation, andair-conditioning (HVAC) components configured to monitor a temperature,humidity, or another condition within the enclosure and produce heat,air-conditioning, or control the another condition based on efficiency,safety, or operation criteria.